Approximately 150 substance abuse prevention leaders from across Missouri gathered at CADCA Summit: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing the Pills to Heroin Epidemic this week in St. Louis at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

The summit, hosted by CADCA, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), provided substance abuse prevention specialists with an overview of the national and local prescription drug and heroin abuse problem and explored the associated public health issues of overdose. Attendees developed effective strategies to address the epidemic in their communities utilizing tactics aimed at changing or influencing community conditions, standards and regulations, and institutions and policies.

Speakers included CADCA’s Gen. Arthur T. Dean, Chairman and CEO and Carlton Hall, Deputy Director, Training and Technical Assistance. From DEA’s St. Louis division, James P. Shroba, Special Agent in Charge and Juan Wilson, Task Force Officer provided remarks. Karen Dorough from DEA headquarters also addressed attendees. Chuck Daugherty, Executive Director, ACT Missouri, and Howard Weissman, Executive Director, NCADA, also addressed attendees at the day-long summit.

The summit was part of DEA’s 360 Strategy, which takes an innovative, three-pronged approach to combating prescription opioid and heroin abuse through: (1) coordinated law enforcement actions against drug cartels and heroin traffickers in specific communities; (2) Diversion Control enforcement actions against DEA registrants operating outside the law and long-term engagement with pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacies, and practitioners; and (3) community outreach through local partnerships that empower communities to take back affected neighborhoods after enforcement actions and prevent resurgence of the problems.